Peter Tolan delivered another R-rated hosting performance as the moderator of today’s Hollywood Radio and Television Society’s Hitmakers luncheon featuring showrunners Graham Yost (Justified), Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead) Michael Patrick King (2 Broke Girls) and Liz Meriwether (New Girl). Like Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, Tolan started off by showing more restraint than usual but that lasted about 10 seconds. “I decided this year to be polite … it’s pilot season, and I do have projects out there. I’m not going to randomly go after it,” he said before adding, presumably referring to the audience in general: “You’re a fucking cunt.”

Turning to Mazzara, he said, “I thought The Walking Dead was the viewership of CBS,” adding with a grin, “None of my pilots is at CBS.”

Tolan then proceeded to give his unsolicited reviews of all the shows represented on the panel – mostly positive, with the exception of new CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls. At last week’s TCA press tour in Pasadena, King took heat from critics for the ethnic stereotypes portrayed in the show. Tolan didn’t bring that up, but didn’t exactly let King off the hook either. “I did watch your pilot [but] after the first 10 minutes, it just didn’t hold me,” he said. Later, when talking about Justified, Tolan admitted he’d missed the Emmy-winning arc of Margo Martindale because he was “busy ignoring Michael’s show.” King appeared to take Tolan’s jabs in stride. “We’ve known each other so long that when we met, we were both straight,” the openly gay King said. Tolan, who is straight, responded with mock outrage: “How dare you out me in front of these people? By the way Michael, I have not come out in a big way. My (fear was) suicidal teens would say, that’s getting better?”

As for the other freshman comedy series with “girl” in the title, Tolan said he’s a big fan of Fox’s New Girl, although when pressed he said: “OK, there are times when I say ‘adorkable’ really means retarded.”

Mazzara talked about the pressure involved in taking over as showrunner of The Walking Dead after Frank Darabont’s exit. “I was convinced if it didn’t come together, my career was dead,” he said. “I’d be branded the guy who fucked up the show.” But he couldn’t resist a joke, either, adding: “This is the first show I’ve done that people watch. To understand my career, you really have to watch The Hurt Locker.”

The panelists also lamented restrictions imposed by the networks’ Standards and Practices departments. “What they let on TV, it seems like it doesn’t exist in any sort of logical world,” Meriwether said. “Today we were shooting a scene, and not to give away the plot, it’s OK to have condoms, and it’s OK to have bananas, but you can’t see condoms on bananas.”

The showrunners also addressed the rise of “girl” comedies. Meriwether said that on her show she is trying to show real girls, not role models. “There’s nothing less funny than a woman being portrayed in a positive light,” she said. Former Sex And The City showrunner King echoed her sentiments. “What I felt was missing for audiences was girls that were funny, not girls in an abstract, damaged way in society, but ballsy, funny girls, like Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow. There was a hole there. I think Liz speaks from her heart.”
“I speak from my hole,” Meriwether cracked, dissolving into giggles. Said Tolan, “I don’t think I can beat her. I can’t do it.”

At the panel, the showrunners were asked about their favorite show on TV. Here are their picks:

20 Comments

Um, people who work in television and other areas of entertainment? Or people who are curious about showbiz?

Tyler • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

King’s favorite show is American Horror Story. That explains so much.

JD • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

2 Broke Girls could possibly be the worst show ever.

John • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Actually, Whitney is worse. And, on that topic, thank you Whitney Cummings for putting up the two worst shows on TV.

Bob • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Whitney, followed VERY closely by Are You There, Chelsea.

Um... • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Tolan is gay. He is out of the closet now.

MaybeFix • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Er. There were two other showrunners on the panel: Brett Baer and Dave Finkel (also of the New Girl)… And I thought they were good.

jim • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

This shithead spent so much time trashing “2 Broke Girls” that he couldn’t watch “Justified”? How does one become a moderator on these panels? No wonder broadcast sucks so bad.

totally agree! • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Well said! I felt bad for King. Here he is on a hitmakers panel and the moderator rips on his show. Even with Graham and Glen Tolan wasn’t engaging at all. HRTS should have talked to Tolan first and if they had any inclination just do a New Girl panel only. Clearly that is all Tolan wanted to talk about and HRTS must be in love with the show for having 3 people there. New Girl is all right but nothing like Modern Family and doesn’t deserve to be put on a pedestal above 2 Broke Girls, Justified and Walking Dead.

WGA Writer • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

I’m glad to see comedy succeeding on network TV again, but 2 Broke Girls really is one of the worst sit-coms I’ve ever seen. Clearly audiences disagree with me, but yikes. Makes my skin crawl the jokes are so hacky.

What a joke! • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Where you even there? I was at this event and this is the worst description ever. 1 – if you are a moderator watch the shows of the people on the panel. 2 – Peter not watching Walking Dead and only the pilot of Justified is not a positive review. These shows are too good to be missed. And 3 – why were there 3 people from one show. One of the worst panels I have ever watched. Sad when the luke warm mass-produced chicken lunch is better than the entertainment.

What a joke • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Where you even there? I was at this event and this is the worst description ever. 1 – if you are a moderator watch the shows of the people on the panel. 2 – Peter not watching Walking Dead and only the pilot of Justified is not a positive review. These shows are too good to be missed. And 3 – why were there 3 people from one show. One of the worst panels I have ever watched. Sad when the luke warm mass-produced chicken lunch is better than the entertainment.

bettheduck • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Didnt Peter Tolan write that wonderful movie What Planet are You From? And people listen to him. what an idiot/

Mitch • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Tolan fully admits to “the shit” (his words) that he has written.

Aeiouy • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Tolan stoled his presentation from Bill Hicks’ producing party.

It is scary how unfunny these guys are in person.

Jim • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

This is what happens when you shoot off your big mouths about these new TV shows….you make them popular.

Bob • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

Everyone has an opinion. Agree, disagree, doesn’t matter. Hollywood will continue to produce the crap-fest that is television today.

palette • on Jan 19, 2012 4:29 pm

At least Tolan was being honest which is always refreshing. And I admire him for telling King what he really thought. The pilot for 2 Broke Girls was jaw dropping with how bad it was – “she’s coming” while a waitress has a loud orgasm in the back?? Hard-dee-har-har. 2 Broke Girls is awful and the lowest common denominators eat it up on their sofas and La-Z-Boys.